The inaugural 21U Baseball World Cup started on Friday in Taichung, Taiwan. The Asian teams made a statement, as Japan out-lasted Australia in the ninth, while Korea and Chinese Taipei celebrated blowouts over the Czech Republic and surprisingly also Mexico. Nicaragua stunned Venezuela with a lopsided victory. Italy downed New Zealand.
In a back and forth affair, which saw Japan scoring five runs in the first and Australia five in the fourth, Team Samurai turned a 6-7 deficit into a 9-7 win in the ninth. A pair of one-out walks offered by closer Todd Van Steensel set up the decisive rally. Three consecutive singles and an error lifted Japan to victory lane.
Meanwhile Korea and Chinese Taipei dominated. Korea scored nine runs between the third and the sixth and added five more in the ninth to beat the Czech Republic 15-5. Marek Minarik took the loss, allowing one hit, two runs and three walks in three innings. Jakub Ondracek scored three runs for the Czech, Martin Cervenka drove in three. Four players had three RBI apiece for Korea. The host shut out Mexico 15-0 in six innings. Chia Hao Sung and Tzu Peng Huang combined to throw six scoreless two-hit frames. 12 runs in the first two innings put the game into the books early.
In the morning Nicaragua had opened the tournament with an 18-5 rout against Venezuela. Jorge Navarez hit a home run and drove in six runs. Similar to the evening game at International Stadium, Nicaragua scored 12 runs in the first two innings to decide things in the beginning. Venezuela avoided the mercy rule ending, but wasn’t able to complete a comeback.
Italy confirmed its favorite role in a matchup against New Zealand with a 7-2 victory. Chicago Cubs catcher Alberto Mineo, who already impressed during the Seniors European Championship in September, doubled twice and drove in two. Filippo Crepaldi, Andrea Pizziconi, Davide Anselmi and Valerio Simone kept New Zealand to five hits, two runs and five walks.
Complete Schedule 21U Baseball World Cup in Taichung
Photo by FIBS